Interesting. That certainly looks like a better world than the current one.
This model seems to be optimizing for a specific conception of human nutrition and wellbeing. Fair enough, that will definitely be an easier sell than veganism (if still extremely hard due to entrenched interests).
Personally (like many others here) I would prefer to go further still and optimize the model for biodiversity and animal wellbeing. 40% of current US meat consumption is still pretty high, seems it would be possible to cut that much more without conceding any ground on human nutrition. All of our nearest ape cousins are heavily (if not absolutely) vegan. That to me offers a pretty big clue about what’s possible and even advisable.
In this alternative model, I suspect the bottom line for the animal biomass necessary for manure would be above the bottom line for optimal human nutrition, and lower than the figure necessary to produce a kilo of meat per person per week. Especially if it involves lots of egg-laying manure-producing chickens instead of large grazing ruminants. Such a model would require less land still. And if there’s one thing even better for the environment than a best-practices agroecological farm with well-paid cooperative workers, it’s no farm at all and a forest in its place.
…optimize the model for biodiversity and animal wellbeing
It kind of deliberately doesn’t come across but, primarily from the standpoint of lessening our impact on the earth, I’d like to see no animals produced for food. It really isn’t strictly necessary for our nutrition but we’ve evolved and optimized for it’s consumption to the point where whole species exist only for that purpose, e.g. cows and chickens and so much culture has developed around it. That’s a lot of back tracking.
From the standpoint of their well-being… well, I can’t put humans on some pedestal and say we somehow aren’t part of the ecosystem here. We are animals too** and I think it’s ok to act like it. It’s just not ok to be the completely dominant species to the exclusion and extinction of others not least because it’s literally to our own determent.
So promoting biodiversity to me means living lighter on the land and working in conjunction with other species, plant and animal. For now it’s a compromise that maybe can put us in the direction of the ideal I tried to outline and beyond. There are lots of things that I have done that I think should be more common practice in farming, and many stem from quasi-permaculture principles. This isn’t just “don’t do monocultures” but more like “work with the land”. A good example is that allowing native plants to grow around and in the field - I leave large strips as pathways for beneficials. This one thing has been hugely successful and completely eliminated the need for any pesticides, ‘natural’ or otherwise. Along with mulching, greatly reduce water consumption.
The principal obstacle is all this is our food systems have been optimized for profit - not by farmers but by corporations and others who seek to “add value” through processing. In that less money goes to farmers and less nutrition to consumers. And this isn’t just because of the processing but also moving production away from nutritionally dense and tastier things to whatever ships and processes well both in terms of species and varieties. This means practices that make complete sense for regeneration, biodiversity and nutrition tend to be excluded in favor of more inequitable ‘profit’. Given that we view food as a human right that’s really messed up.
Edit: **I’m not saying that should justifying eating other animals. But I just don’t buy that we are somehow special mainly because it’s that thinking that got us into this mess in the first place. Like we don’t have to adhere to the rules or something.
It really isn’t strictly necessary for our nutrition but we’ve evolved and optimized for it’s consumption to the point where whole species exist only for that purpose, e.g. cows and chickens and so much culture has developed around it. That’s a lot of back tracking.
Sure but if Beyond Meat can make a delicious bit of fake cow or chicken with 1/10 of the land and water, then we have a drop-in replacement that requires no cultural change. As for the actual cows and chickens, personally I would have no problem letting them go extinct. Along with domestic dogs and cats (both of which I love) and indeed humans too, if necessary - but possibly this is getting offtopic! The point is that the objective should be a rich ecosystem without mass cruelty.
I leave large strips as pathways for beneficials.
Ah, now things become clearer - you’re an actual farmer! Well done for thinking so deeply about these questions.
Sure but if Beyond Meat can make a delicious bit of fake cow or chicken with 1/10 of the land and water, then we have a drop-in replacement that requires no cultural change
I mean, good point but… I really do think it requires a cultural change. I’m a big fan of Beyond Meat products yet so many people don’t view it the same way.
Alas, I have trouble believing their claims about land use and water even while I acknowledge it’s an improvement. And although they are not organic, I can guarantee that animal products are used in the production of their ingredients and that it would be difficult for them to source said ingredients otherwise. Now imagine they blow up and do 1000x the volume…
Interesting. That certainly looks like a better world than the current one.
This model seems to be optimizing for a specific conception of human nutrition and wellbeing. Fair enough, that will definitely be an easier sell than veganism (if still extremely hard due to entrenched interests).
Personally (like many others here) I would prefer to go further still and optimize the model for biodiversity and animal wellbeing. 40% of current US meat consumption is still pretty high, seems it would be possible to cut that much more without conceding any ground on human nutrition. All of our nearest ape cousins are heavily (if not absolutely) vegan. That to me offers a pretty big clue about what’s possible and even advisable.
In this alternative model, I suspect the bottom line for the animal biomass necessary for manure would be above the bottom line for optimal human nutrition, and lower than the figure necessary to produce a kilo of meat per person per week. Especially if it involves lots of egg-laying manure-producing chickens instead of large grazing ruminants. Such a model would require less land still. And if there’s one thing even better for the environment than a best-practices agroecological farm with well-paid cooperative workers, it’s no farm at all and a forest in its place.
It kind of deliberately doesn’t come across but, primarily from the standpoint of lessening our impact on the earth, I’d like to see no animals produced for food. It really isn’t strictly necessary for our nutrition but we’ve evolved and optimized for it’s consumption to the point where whole species exist only for that purpose, e.g. cows and chickens and so much culture has developed around it. That’s a lot of back tracking.
From the standpoint of their well-being… well, I can’t put humans on some pedestal and say we somehow aren’t part of the ecosystem here. We are animals too** and I think it’s ok to act like it. It’s just not ok to be the completely dominant species to the exclusion and extinction of others not least because it’s literally to our own determent.
So promoting biodiversity to me means living lighter on the land and working in conjunction with other species, plant and animal. For now it’s a compromise that maybe can put us in the direction of the ideal I tried to outline and beyond. There are lots of things that I have done that I think should be more common practice in farming, and many stem from quasi-permaculture principles. This isn’t just “don’t do monocultures” but more like “work with the land”. A good example is that allowing native plants to grow around and in the field - I leave large strips as pathways for beneficials. This one thing has been hugely successful and completely eliminated the need for any pesticides, ‘natural’ or otherwise. Along with mulching, greatly reduce water consumption.
The principal obstacle is all this is our food systems have been optimized for profit - not by farmers but by corporations and others who seek to “add value” through processing. In that less money goes to farmers and less nutrition to consumers. And this isn’t just because of the processing but also moving production away from nutritionally dense and tastier things to whatever ships and processes well both in terms of species and varieties. This means practices that make complete sense for regeneration, biodiversity and nutrition tend to be excluded in favor of more inequitable ‘profit’. Given that we view food as a human right that’s really messed up.
Edit: **I’m not saying that should justifying eating other animals. But I just don’t buy that we are somehow special mainly because it’s that thinking that got us into this mess in the first place. Like we don’t have to adhere to the rules or something.
Sure but if Beyond Meat can make a delicious bit of fake cow or chicken with 1/10 of the land and water, then we have a drop-in replacement that requires no cultural change. As for the actual cows and chickens, personally I would have no problem letting them go extinct. Along with domestic dogs and cats (both of which I love) and indeed humans too, if necessary - but possibly this is getting offtopic! The point is that the objective should be a rich ecosystem without mass cruelty.
Ah, now things become clearer - you’re an actual farmer! Well done for thinking so deeply about these questions.
I mean, good point but… I really do think it requires a cultural change. I’m a big fan of Beyond Meat products yet so many people don’t view it the same way.
Alas, I have trouble believing their claims about land use and water even while I acknowledge it’s an improvement. And although they are not organic, I can guarantee that animal products are used in the production of their ingredients and that it would be difficult for them to source said ingredients otherwise. Now imagine they blow up and do 1000x the volume…
Yes yes, all good points.